To Depend on a Kiss
by Katarin Kishika
Summary: He sat up, long after she was gone, long after the rain slowed down to a drizzle. His mind going back to what happened like a replay. All the while, his thoughts were consumed of 'Those lips were very warm.' Their deal was just that. Her kisses in exchange of him taking care of her. She never expected for those kisses to be addicting. She never expected for her to fall for him.
1. Prologue

**Title: To Depend on a Kiss**

**Author:** Katarin Kishika

**Characters/Pairing:** Haruno Sakura X Uchiha Itachi

**Type:** Multichapter

**Genre:** Romance

**Disclaimer:** If you recognize it, it's not mine.

**READ ME: **Oh, right, THIS IS **AU**! Inspired by "Kiss ni Juuzoku" by Ikemi Runa

**:::**

**O_O_O**

"Yo." – Talking

'_Yo.'_ – Thoughts

**O_O_O**

**To Depend on a Kiss**

**O_O_O**

**:::**

**Prologue**

**:::**

That day, heavy rain fell and enveloped his world.

Thunder (that made him deaf) and lightning (that made a great contrast against the dark forest) crashed. He couldn't see more than a few feet in front of him because of said rain. Even so, he didn't care; couldn't bring himself to care for this was what was expected of him – to capture criminals as part of the King's army of his country. He was the heir of his house, a nobleman and this was what was expected of him. Be that as it may, it didn't mean he liked doing it. Honestly, he was fed up with this nobility crap.

He kicked his horse to go faster, to run quicker, to cover more distance - just so he could catch them up.

He and a few more were chasing a group of thieves who dared to steal an important brooch from the Countess of the Land of Snow and a few other valuable things from countless dukes, marquis and other high ranking officials, right under their noses. While the nobles were having their usual gala for this summer season, the scoundrels sneaked in and stole on the guest's suites. To say that the nobles were furious was a big understatement. They were livid and demanded the heads of that group of thieves.

Urging his horse to run faster, Itachi could almost see the silhouettes of the band of thieves against the heavy rain. They were near the edge of the forest the Kingdom of Konoha was known for. He could see five cloaked figures with their horses galloping on the tricky forest like it was the back of their hands; directing their beasts on sharp turns and narrow ways.

Wind whipped on his face, rain pelted on his form but he continued on; his men were a few more meters behind. The group he was chasing then dispersed towards different direction. But Itachi being the stubborn man he secretly (or not so secretly despite what he thought) was, did not relent his pursuit. He followed the one nearest to him who kept a straight direction; they were traversing on a narrow bend beside the raging river. Nudging his horse again, Itachi stretched his arms. The person in front was only a few meters in front; the cloak whoever he or she was wearing was flapping with the wind.

Itachi's outstretched hand skimmed the hood of the cloak but missed a few centimeters. Another nudge for his horse to go faster, their horses almost side by side now, Itachi grabbed the elusive hood. But alas, his hold slipped. The hood fell and revealed the rosette hair, darkened a bit because of the rain, of the person he was pursuing. A gasp escaped from said person and the next thing he saw was the profile of a face so delicate that it could only belong to a woman and piercing eyes. Despite the rush of the chase, Itachi belatedly realized that this person's was the same shade of green as the grasses of this same forest.

And from then on, everything rolled downhill. Literally.

The narrow land they were on was not stable – a fact that Itachi's prodigious mind was berating him now. It was a simple detail that he did not thought of at the moment because of the adrenaline rush of the chase. The land, made unstable because of the heavy rain, crumbled upon his and his horse's weight. He briefly saw the brown, thrashing river before he fell head first on it. He kicked and kicked to rise back to the surface with all of his powers, but his cumbersome clothes (made all the more heavier because of the water) and the raging river made all his effort naught. It pushed him on one direction to the next proving the turbulent rush of the water. His vision was getting blurry, the strength draining and leaving him faster than he thought, the cold seeping in right through his bones.

'_What would it feel like to close my eyes? Ah, nothing matters anymore.'_ He thought.

He didn't know what happened next but the next time he became aware of his surroundings, he felt firm yet soft lips pushing oxygen through his mouth. Obsidian eyes widened, he gasped his next breath which turned to succeeding coughs. Those lips, pink and moist, left his own. Words tumbled from it, "Ah, you've come to." Itachi watched as those lips formed and leave those words, mesmerized; he watched (despite his hacking and gasping to normalize his breathing) the person before him.

His muddled mind realized she was the same person he was pursuing.

Gaze never leaving her face, Itachi heard the unknown girl continued what she was saying, "I'm glad." Genuine feelings lacing her words which completely surprised the raven-haired man. He was pursuing them with the intent to off their heads (not really his words) because of their crime, yet here she was saying she was glad he was alright.

And then she smiled.

Her young face cleared up. Jade eyes crinkling, almost closing and those lips forming said smile.

Itachi was _dazed_.

He could distantly hear voices coming near. A distinct shout of "Boss!" made the mystery woman look up towards the direction of the voice. She shouted something about "Everything's alright! I'll be coming back now!" But strangely enough, everything passed on Itachi's mind, muddled a bit. The girl smiled on his direction once more and stood up, running towards the forest. Obsidian eyes followed her form until she disappeared under the shelter of the great forests surrounding Konoha.

He sat up, long after she was gone, long after the rain slowed down to a drizzle. His mind going back to what happened like a replay. All the while, his thoughts were consumed of _'Those lips were very warm.' _

**:::**

**AN:** My first ItaSaku. Wow. As you could see, this was a multichapter fic. I don't know how many more chapters it would have, but surely the length would be longer the next chapter. I don't know when I would update again ('Cause internship sucks and currently succeeding on making me super busy), but I wouldn't abandon this story. Well, it applies to all my stories (they were my babies!)

Anyway, for those waiting for updates for my NaruSaku fics, don't worry. Soon, I would find the time to update those!

_Thank you for taking the time to read this, it would be greatly appreciated if you could_ **READ **_and leave a_ **REVIEW **_behind_. This was my comeback fic after not writing for a few months. Hope, I'm not getting too rusty. And please, **NO FLAMES**.


	2. Part I: A Deal

**Title: To Depend on a Kiss**

**Author:** Katarin Kishika

**Characters/Pairing:** Haruno Sakura X Uchiha Itachi

**Type:** Multichapter

**Genre:** Romance

**Disclaimer:** If you recognize it, it's not mine.

**READ ME: **Oh, right, THIS IS **AU**! Inspired by "Kiss ni Juuzoku" by Ikemi Runa

**:::**

**O_O_O**

**To Depend on a Kiss**

**O_O_O**

**:::**

**Part I: A Deal**

**:::**

**A year later**

**:::**

"Thieves! Call the guards, quick!" Voices rang out loud from the depths of the manor. A high shriek from one of the mansion's chambermaids had awoken the sleeping lord from their heavy slumber. Pandemonium broke out. The heavy footsteps of the sentinels rang out through the once quiet halls and streets of the slumbering central city of the Kingdom of Konoha.

Lithe figures ran on the roof of the city's residential houses, away from the chaos they brought upon. With them are bags of loots stolen from one of the councils (and probably the most suspicious one – Shimura Danzo) of High Lord Uzumaki. Their 'working suit', picked for its various hues of charcoal and smoky granite were made of leather so well-oiled that no sound would escape; not that they would need it for they already trained themselves to have _very_ light footsteps. Their hoods obscured their hairs and faces but would still enable them to observe their surroundings well. The group composed of three people – two men and one woman – travelled on wraith like silence. Their bodies shifted in and out of the darkness. If one would do so much as blink an eye, the figures would be gone.

Smirks were drawn from their lips but it fell when they heard loud footfalls following them from below and angry shouts to keep up with the figure drew their attention. "There they are! HALT!" One of the guards, a captain perhaps, shouted.

The woman smirked despite panting from exertion. _'As if we would follow you, fool.'_ She thought. They were nearing the town wall; behind those massive bricks was the forest, their territory. If they could pass the wall, they would be safe. Having known the forest like the back of their hands, it would be effortless for them to escape from these pursuers.

Leaping from roof to roof to reach their goal while their persistent chasers were following them from below, the woman made a split, spur of the moment decision (they were traipsing the walls now and was nearing the first tower. Behind this was the forest; it would be really bothersome for those guards to follow them through their territory) "Shikamaru, Kiba! Go on ahead, let's split up. I'll try to distract them while you escape."

As expected, her plan was countered with a scoff (from the lazy ass) and a whine and/or grunt (from Kiba). The raven-haired genius glanced at their 'Boss' on his peripheral vision, trying to peer on her eyes. Upon seeing the stubborn glint on her viridian eyes, he sighed and muttered 'troublesome' under his breath. She glared. He cleared his throat and promptly said, "Just be careful and meet us afterwards. Use the passage on the sewage at the south east side of the city. We'll split at the first tower at the gate. We will head west." Shikamaru said with finality.

Jade eyes crinkled with mirth at the order. The young woman grinned and saluted, "Yes, shadow king!" She grinned without faltering on her running. Shikamaru rolled his eyes.

The brown-haired lad beside her, snorted loudly at the nickname. "Nice one, Sakura!"

They had reached the first tower now and just as what they planned, Shikamaru and Kiba headed west towards the forest. Sakura continued the track and headed east. The south eastern walls connect the first and second towers; behind it was a steep cliff used for the town's defense. Both towers should not have any guards at the moment because of the change of shift which Sakura had already memorized to her heart. But alas, it seemed like the chase between them and their pursuers took longer than what was expected for here they are the guards who should not have been there at the first place.

The smirk on her face fell on dismay but still Sakura trudged on. Tugging her hood lower to conceal her face and sticking to the shadows as much as possible, Sakura crossed her fingers and hoped the no one would see her.

"HALT! You there! Stop that thief!" Oh, bugger. Won't those guards leave her alone? Sakura rolled her eyes. City guards were like dogs… or puppies. Nah, they're more like those annoying pesky insects that always make those buzzing sound.

Sakura could almost see that specific roof where she could drop off from the castle walls, Through there, if she dropped off from the ledge and disappear to the alley beside the house, she could make her way towards the secret passageway (only known by thieves) that lead to one side of the forest.

A few meters more. She was almost there.

Five.

She could hear the shouts of the guards from below. Damn, they were still following her. What are they? Sniffing dogs?

Four.

The guards on the tower were alerted now. Sakura looked up and gulped when she saw them looking out for her. Thankfully she was sticking on the darkness.

Three.

Those damn guards were alerting the nearby guards stationed on the roof of the nearby buildings. Some of them were archers. This was not looking good for her, Sakura thought wryly.

Two.

Yes! Only a few more steps. Sakura could almost feel freedom. Her frantic run going faster to prepare for her drop on the roof. Pumping her legs to go faster and because she was in a haste, Sakura didn't bother to hide in the darkness anymore.

Big mistake.

She felt the piercing pain of an arrow right straight to her scapula. Sakura staggered a little, her hood falling to reveal her bound hair. Another stabbed her on her lower back. Swaying a little more, Sakura failed on her steps and stumbled backwards toward the ledge of the wall.

The next thing she felt was the rush of the wind as she fell and the excruciating pain as she landed.

And then it all went black.

**:::**

She could hear footsteps walking towards her crumpled form. Sakura mostly felt numb but she knew that once it eased, the pain would follow, so she basked on the numbness she was feeling now. She knew that aside from the wounds from the arrows earlier, there would be a lot more scrapes and wounds from her fall earlier. It would be a miracle if she did not break a bone or two. Scratch that, being alive was a miracle already. 'Oh shit', Sakura could almost feel two broken ribs already. Struggling to open her eyes and succeeding on opening it for just a fraction, Sakura saw the stars on the night sky. Her eyes travelled to her side and saw the braches that had most probably softened her fall and saw that she was lying on a bush, another factor that must have cushioned her fall.

The footsteps were almost silent but Sakura knew that there was someone there. She tilted her head on another side and saw the black boots of the unknown person. Her gaze moved upward – a cloak, the hood drawn so Sakura could no longer see the face of said person. Based on the built and height from her vantage point of view, Sakura hazard a guess that her visitor was a male.

The person crouched low to probably observe her state. Sakura's nose was assaulted with the smell of clean sheets, sun dried clothes and the smell of waterfall. Calming and refreshing… And something masculine that Sakura found she kind of liked after all. Her vision was getting blurry. Too weak to open her mouth and scream, Sakura settled on whimpering when the person reached a hand to stroke her cheeks. Upon his touch, pain erupted. It seemed like the numbness were no longer effective, the pain was creeping back.

For the second time that day (or night for that matter), Sakura fainted.

**:::**

**:::**

**:::**

It was the smell of lilies and the light chatter, the small noises from some distance that woke her up. It was the rays of the sun, the caress of the wind from an open window forced her to open her eyes. It was the site of the drapes of a four-poster bed, the feeling of its soft mattress, the silk sheets and the warm duvet that baffled her and struck her confused.

Sakura's eyes widened. 'Where the hell is she?' Her mind screamed. She tried to sit up but the pain rendered it naught. She tried again and again, all with the same results. Settling on observing where she was first, Sakura saw a huge glass door which opened to a veranda on one side of the unfamiliar bedroom; the light white curtain flapping with the wind. The walls were painted a tasteful periwinkle color, the furniture mostly dark colored; a large dresser on one wall, two doors leading to who knows where, a few paintings of landscapes, a desk and a vase of white and yellow lilies.

Wrinkling her nose a bit, Sakura deduced she's on a noble's house. How peculiar. Ever since she was little, she knew that in this country (no matter how they sugarcoat and deny it), if you are weak, no one would help you. People, especially nobles, were greedy creatures. That's why she and her gang let their hearts to harden so they could be prepared with the harshness of life. That was why they steal… so that they could live. Yes, there may be a few more other options. But with their standing on the society, it would be a huge fat chance to land a decent job. The society abhorred them; the government treats them like they're trash. But for them, it didn't matter. They were just another means for them to live and it's not like they steal from everybody, only those with questionable and suspicious wealth.

That was why it was a mystery for Sakura to find herself on a noble's house, dressed on silky but warm robes, bandaged and resting on a sophisticated room. Kindness were hard to come by especially nowadays… so, who?

As if being summoned with her unspoken question, a knock on the door pulled Sakura from her thoughts. With a silent 'Come in.' which was strange for her, the door opened to reveal a man, four or five years older from her. He was wearing a tacky noble's clothes of navy blue color. His hair bound at the nape of his neck. Piercing and intense obsidian eyes pinned on her. Her breath hitched and heartbeat almost failed with the way he made her feel. He was striking but Sakura knew he was lethal. And that made her afraid.

"You're awake." His voice was deep, smooth like hot chocolate. He walked towards her bed, and upon closer inspection, Sakura saw the crest of the Uchiha family sewn on his coat. The white and red fan a huge contrast with the dark color.

As he neared, Sakura grew more nervous, scared. He was imposing, like a big predator. "Why am I here? What's the meaning of this?" Despite her predicament, jade eyes burned with hidden fury. The hell with consequences, if he would behead her now, so be it. She glared at him, daring him to come closer.

And it seemed like this person was either blind or he did not care about her glares for he continued his treck and sat at the side of her bed. He reached out and grabbed her chin gently, "I'll be taking care of you." His voice so serious; if it was another setting, Sakura would have laughed.

Sakura's most coherent thought at the moment was a nonsensical, _'Wha-?' _Her expression one of bewilderment.

One of his hands settled on one side of her head the other on the other side. He leaned a bit, almost covering her with his upper body although their bodies did not touch. Even so, Sakura could feel the heat of his body radiate from him. "But in exchange, I… want your lips." He said while using his thumb to gently touch said lips.

'Huh?' was Sakura's intelligent thoughts as her jaw dropped from the bargain. Upon sensing her confusion, the young man stood up and with mysterious but highly amused face (most probably because of her expression) said, "It's quite simple really. Every time you take a painkiller, your bandages are replaced; for meal time and bath time, as well. I will take a kiss as collateral each time." If it was possible, Sakura's jaw dropped lower. The nerve of this guy! "Think about it carefully tonight." He said as he walked back to the door and leaving with a small click.

It was a long time before Sakura made a coherent thought from her shocked and jumbled mind. _'No freaking way.'_

**:::**

**AN:** Still a bit short from my usual ones but I don't have much time to make one, so meh :/ Sorry if Itachi was OOC... I'm still grasping the dude's character, lol.

Anyway, wow. There were a lot of hits, I was quite shocked. Hopefully this time, there would be reviews *wink*wink*

Next update would be… I dunno yet, lol. Soon-ish?

At any rate, I would love to have feedbacks so **PLEASE READ AND REVIEW**.

**~ Katarin Kishika**


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